These days, you can’t pick up a newspaper, turn on the television, or hop online without seeing a reference to the Zika Virus. We are learning more by the day, but there is a lot we still don’t know, and Congress is in search of answers.
Here’s what we do know: Zika is a mosquito-borne virus, which is spreading rapidly across the Western Hemisphere and within the United States. Unlike many other viruses, the symptoms of Zika tend to be mild – and only about one in five people infected show symptoms, which are often minor and flu-like. Zika is believed to be linked to an increase in microcephaly, a congenital birth defect in infants born to infected mothers, as well as Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an immune disorder resulting in temporary paralysis. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a “public health emergency of international concern,” based largely on the rise in the incidence of microcephaly in Brazil.
Cases of the Zika virus, first seen in 1947, were initially found in humans outside Africa in 2007 and in mainland Latin America in 2015. It has now spread to more than 48 countries and territories. While there have been no known cases of local transmission of the virus by mosquitoes to humans across the 50 states, Americans have returned, infected, from affected regions. At least 25 states have confirmed cases to date. Zika transmission has been documented from mother to child during pregnancy, as well as through sexual contact and blood transfusions.
There are a number of steps we can take to protect the American public from the risks of the Zika virus. First, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a travel advisory for areas with active transmission of the Zika virus, and recommends that women who are pregnant or seek to become pregnant avoid travel to these regions. Second, we need to make sure doctors and hospitals have the best tools available to diagnose infection from the virus. While there are tests available, they are not yet widely distributed.
Third, we need to work to control the spread of the disease. The culprit in the spread of Zika is a type of mosquito that can be found in nearly all countries of the Western Hemisphere and are already known to be a host for other viruses including dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. We must work with state and local health officials to identify and implement effective strategies for mosquito control.
Lastly, we need to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus. The National Institutes of Health has begun work to develop a Zika vaccine, but it’s important to ensure that any vaccine is both effective and safe. That work could take considerable time, but it’s important that the work move forward as quickly as possible.
Since January, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has been examining – on a bipartisan basis – our public health preparedness for, and response to, Zika through meetings with federal agencies, state health departments, public laboratories, international organizations, tropical disease experts, and other key stakeholders. While our understanding of Zika is growing by the day, there are still many questions that remain to be answered – and acted upon – to protect the American public. Our Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations recently held a hearing on the Zika virus highlighting these questions and potential solutions. Members raised concerns about the accuracy and availability of diagnostic tests, the timeframe for creating a vaccine, and the need for strong vector control to prevent the spread of the disease in the first place. Many questions remain unanswered, and we will continue to press officials in our efforts to combat the virus and increase public awareness.
To address Zika, the administration recently asked Congress to approve emergency funding. As our committee oversees many of the federal agencies the administration is seeking additional taxpayer dollars for, we take seriously our role in ensuring that taxpayer money is effectively marshaled to confront the present threat to public health. We must also ensure that our nation is well positioned to confront any number of other biological threats that may arise in the years to come.
Our committee also recently held a hearing on a report from the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense which examined how well the federal government is prepared to protect our homeland from various biological threats. Sadly, the panel concluded that we are not very well prepared, and there is much that can be done to build a capacity at all levels of government to act quickly and together when there is a risk to the national health like the Zika virus.
We can and must do better to prepare for potential outbreaks. Our number one priority remains keeping the American people safe.
Fred Upton represents Michigan’s 6th congressional district. He is also chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
